Temptation
by thatgirlwithastorytotell
Summary: Tensions are rising in Elysia. The Slayer Society is cracking down, and vampires are finding it more and more difficult to hunt. Vladimir Tod and Cassie Barker's relationship becomes stressful as The Pravus is blamed for the events now taking place. As if that is not all, a vampire is out for revenge on Vlad, and he may have found a way to get it. **Sequel to Delirium**
1. Revenge

Revenge

Revenge is a disease that takes over the mind. One who wants revenge will never stop until they succeed in getting what they want. That's all revenge truly is, a want. You don't need revenge, but something in your heart says you need it. Revenge can make you feel whole once again.

I needed my revenge. The boy had taken my mentor away from me. He was my inspiration, my hero. I looked up to that vampire.

The moon was full tonight, causing the light to reflect off of my pale skin. I walked casually down the streets of Stokerton, glancing behind my back every so often. Elysia was in a buzz after D'Ablo's death. I refused to let anyone sneak up behind me.

I reached the mall that was my destination and made my way to the movie theater inside.

I wasn't going to kill the boy just yet. All I was looking for tonight was information. I needed to tear the boy apart, starting with his loved ones.

His death would be slow, painful. I could picture his screams now, a pleasured shiver running up my spine. The Pravus would pay.

I sat down at table near the theater, watching the teenagers make their way through the mall. The smell of blood was overwhelming. It had been about a month since I fed, my hunger beginning to get the best of me.

I needed to be careful, though. The Slayer Society was cracking down, killing vampires like there was no tomorrow. Hunting had become more and more difficult.

This, I believed, was also the fault of the Pravus.

Breathing in, I could smell the unique scent I was looking for.

Half-human, half vampire.

The Pravus had arrived.

Looking through the crowd, I spotted the teenager. His pale skin was in great contrast with his dark, black hair. He was hand-in-hand with a girl. She had black hair and was laughing at something the vampire boy had said.

I raised an eyebrow, now curious. Was this girl his lover? If so, Vladimir was breaking the rules. A smirk played on my lips. I possibly had found a way to tear him down. According to Elysian law, if a vampire were to enter a romantic relationship with a human, they only had two options. Either the human be executed, or the human must be turned into one of us.

I pondered the idea of the human knowing about Vladimir. Did she know that he was a monster? Did she know that he had massacred my mentor?

Listening closely, I picked up on some of their conversation.

"I don't know, a horror movie doesn't seem all too romantic for our one year anniversary," the girl said.

Vladimir laughed, pulling the girl closer so that their faces were inches from one another. "Listen here, Cassie Barker, our anniversary is next week, and I have a lovely date planned out. This," he gestured towards the theater, "is a date so you'll shut up about me not taking you out in a while."

The girl, Cassie I presume, gasped playfully, "Well then, Mr. Tod, maybe we should just go home and forget about this little pity date." She winked at him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him towards the theater.

Cassie Barker

This girl was my ticket to revenge. Soon, I was going to report the illegal couple to the counsel. However, I needed more evidence first. Before I could find more evidence, I needed to feed. My hunger was beginning to exhaust me.

Scoping through the crowd, I found the perfect young woman. She was alone, digging through her purse for something.

_Where the hell are my keys!? I could've sworn I put them right here._

I slipped out of the woman's mind, leaving my table and walking a few feet behind her. The crowd was my friend tonight, keeping me hidden whenever I needed it.

Once we got outside, I moved towards an empty alley. I pushed into the woman's mind, convincing her to come to the alley. She stopped in her tracks, turning and walking towards me. I let my fangs slip from my gums, anticipating the kill.

I backed deeper into the alley, the woman getting closer. Timing my attack, I jumped from my hiding place and slammed the woman's shoulders against the wall.

A scream escaped her lips. I couldn't take the chance of being caught, but her fear was entertaining. Putting my finger to her lips, I said, "Ssshh, wouldn't want to alert anyone, now would we?"

Her eyes grew wide, but I wasn't sure why. I hadn't exposed my fangs to the woman yet. That's when the wind was knocked out of me. I crumpled to the ground, my hands reaching for my sides. I turned to see a man behind me, stake in hand.

A slayer

I wasn't careful enough, I didn't check for slayers before attempting the kill.

"Hey mosquito, hungry?" the slayer said, preparing for another attack. The woman ran, all the while screaming. Great, another meal lost.

I jumped up, not wanting to fight. My body didn't have the strength.

"I don't have time for this, slayer."

Using my vampiric speed, I ran past the slayer. I didn't slow down until I was out of sight of the mall.

Sitting on a bench at a bus stop, I took a moment to breathe and think of my actions. How had I not detected the slayer? I was usually so good at telling slayers apart from normal human beings.

Revenge

It had overwhelmed my mind so much, that I had not properly surveyed the area. My anger only grew towards Vladimir. Now, I wanted him dead even more. He had almost gotten me killed, and I had never even said two words to the abomination.

Tomorrow, I would find more information on the girl.

"Cassie Barker," I spoke the name aloud. She was the answer. She would be the end of my pain.

Cassie Barker was my revenge.


	2. Curiosity

*P.O.V. of Cassie Barker*

I had a good life.

There was nothing I could really complain about. My life _was_ going good. I felt as if nothing could ever really go wrong with Vlad by my side.

Vlad. That name always brought a smile to face.

I met him about year ago whenever I moved to the small town of Bathory. From the start, I always had a thing for him. Our relationship has had its ups and downs, just like any other. However, Vlad and I have a very special bond.

I know his deepest, darkest secret.

Vladimir Tod was a vampire.

Well, scratch that, Vlad was half vampire. Either way, he had fangs and a hunger for blood.

Sometimes I wondered if I should be afraid of him for this, but I never really was afraid of him. I think, because I truly loved him so much, I just could not be afraid of him. I've seen many of Vlad's personalities. I have seen him angry, scared, sad, and usually happy. There wasn't a reason for me to fear him. He never expressed his anger towards me.

I know him better than anyone else.

"Earth to Cassie," Vlad's voice cut into my thoughts. We were sitting at our usual lunch table. Our group of friends consisted of a boy named Henry, a girl named October, and a few other goth kids.

I took a sip of my water and looked at my boyfriend, "What?"

"You need to stop staring off into space when you have your little 'deep in thought' sessions," he said, swiping his black bangs from his eyes. "It gets a little creepy sometimes, babe."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at him. Vlad was always sarcastic and trying to crack jokes. That's one trait of his that I absolutely adored.

"So," October, who was sitting to my left, nudged me, "what cha' thinkin' about?"

I decided to continue with her charade. "That's none of your business," I said, all the while nudging her arm every time I spoke a different syllable.

Vlad wrapped his arm around me. He chuckled before he kissed me on the cheek.

_Hundred bucks says you were thinking about me._

Vlad has this ability where he can place thoughts in my head. We spent so much time together that this became a common form of communication. It worked sort of like telepathy. I would think of something, and Vlad would use his mind reading ability to hear it. Then, he would place a thought in my head.

It is quite useful whenever I am bored in class.

_That is none of your business Mr. Tod. However, I will say that I was thinking about a certain guy that should really kiss me right now._

"As you wish," he whispered into my ear before placing his lips on mine.

I kissed him back, pulling him close to me. Someone cleared there throat from behind us.

"Having fun there, _love birds_," Prinicpal Snelgrove's voice was cold. Snelgrove had always hated Vlad. Ever since we started dating, he had taken a hatred for me, as well.

We pulled apart right away, not wanting to get yet another detention. My aunt and uncle were not happy with Vlad. They blamed him for me constantly getting in trouble at school. What they don't realize is this: Snelgrove will find every opportunity to make mine and Vlad's lives a living hell.

"No, sir," I tried avoiding his gaze. Vlad once told me that he thought our principal looked like a rat. Now, every time I looked at him, I wanted to laugh. I couldn't stop picturing him eating cheese in the corner of a basement.

I blame Vladimir for this.

_That's not very nice, sweetheart._ Vlad spoke in my head.

_What did I say about reading my thoughts!?_

_Not my fault, _he took a sip of his water, _I thought we were still talking. Therefore, I was still in your head._

I rolled my eyes; he always had an excuse for invading my thoughts. It's not like I minded much, but I did enjoy the privacy my thoughts had. After all, it was _my_ head.

"Rolling your eyes at an authority figure is disrespectful, Ms. Barker," Snelgrove spoke from behind me. "That'll be detention young lady."

Vlad was quick to defend me, "Oh come on! You don't even know if she was rolling her eyes at you. Cut her some slack."

"Well then," I already knew what Snelgrove was going to say, "detention for both of you. Library, after school until 3."

'_Library, after school until 3', _Vlad spoke in my head, _does the guy even know how to form complete sentences?_

I waited for Snelgrove to walk away before chuckling.

"Well, Uncle Francis will not be happy about that," I looked down at the table. My aunt and uncle had warned me about getting detention. It's only a matter of time before they do something drastic, like banning me from seeing Vlad!

"Yeah," Vlad was laughing, not really caring much about the detention, "so will Nelly."

I looked over at him and couldn't help but smile. He always knew how to stay happy and calm in stressful situations.

Vlad walked me home after detention. We spent an entire hour, in complete silence, stacking books on the shelves. I never really understood why kids in detention had to do that work. Didn't the school pay the library to do that?

We went our separate ways, and I began the walk up the pathway. I dreaded opening the door. Uncle Francis' screaming filled my head.

Walking inside, I noticed a large, empty box waiting in the hallway.

"Aunt Kelly? Uncle Francis?" I called out, now curious as to what exactly was going on.

Aunt Kelly came running down the stairs, "Come on, sweetheart!" I winced at the nickname. Only Vlad was allowed to refer to me as anything other than Cassie. "Something came in the mail for you today."

We made our way upstairs and into the bedroom. At the foot of my bed, a medium sized box was placed. I sat down in front of it and marveled at the intricate design of the wood. I went to lift the lid, only to be disappointed by a lock.

I raised an eyebrow towards my aunt, "Where's the key?"

My aunt plopped down next to me. She was always so energetic for her age.

"I don't know. I was hoping you'd know."

_Odd._

Vlad's voice came into my head, _What's odd, love?_

_Later Vladimir!_ I screamed in my head, making it known that I didn't approve of him snooping, once again, in my head.

"Who sent it?" I said, picking at the lock as if it would magically open.

Aunt Kelly stood up, brushing off her skirt. "I don't know. There was no return address. There was just some note saying '_For the lovely, Cassie.'_ It's a little suspicious now that I think about it." Aunt Kelly never was the brightest person.

"No worries," I said. My curiosity as to what was inside was driving me crazy.

My aunt made her way out the door, turning to me one more time.

"By the way," her voice was stern, "I won't tell your uncle about the detention. You're lucky I picked up the phone when the school called. Please try not to get in trouble again, or you _will_ be grounded."

I nodded, tracing my fingers along the wood.

Somehow, someway, I would find out what was in this box.


	3. The Box

"It's a sort of witch craft. The witch would cast a spell upon an article of clothing, and then the person who wears that clothing would be under their control. It was insane!" Vlad rambled on and on about some television show he watched prior to coming over.

We were sitting in my room around midnight. Vlad snuck through my window after I had told him about the mysterious package that had arrived for me.

He was more interested in telling me about _The Dark Wish_ he had just watched. I sat in front of the box, still tracing the design of the wood. It was beautifully crafted, but highly suspicious.

I tapped the lock, "I just wish I could find a way to get inside."

Vlad, who had previously been sitting on my bed, made his way to the floor. He sat with his legs crossed, pondering the situation.

"I don't think you should keep it," he stated bluntly.

I tugged on the lock, silently hoping that it would magically open. "You're the one with freaky powers. Can't you just do something and open it!" I wasn't sure why I was getting angry. Vlad had these incredible powers, but he never used them. It just really ticked me off.

"Cass," Vlad replied, staying calm, "are you 100% sure you want to get inside?"

I was sure to give him the most "of course, idiot" look I could.

"Alright," he rubbed his hands together.

Vlad examined the lock for a second. He grasped it in both hands and pulled. I assumed he was attempting to use his vampiric strength.

To my dismay, nothing happened.

He continued to examine the lock more thoroughly. Turning it over in his hands, we both noticed a strange symbol on the back. I didn't get a good look at it, but I looked over at Vlad whenever he touched the symbol. His eyes flashed a bright purple, only making me even more curious.

"Well?" I was becoming impatient. Vlad's blank expression annoyed me. Shaking his shoulders, I had to raise my voice to say, "What the hell is it!?"

Vlad dropped the lock and turned to look at me. His eyes were filled with concern. This was the same concern I had seen in them last year, whenever I was attacked by some psychotic vampire.

Vlad stood up and made his way to the window, "I need to talk to Otis."

"What is it?" I tried to say, but Vlad had already made his way outside.

The sun was bright, shining its irritating light though my window. Glancing over at my clock, I noticed that it was merely 6:30 in the morning.

_Why couldn't the sun let me sleep in on a Saturday?_

"Sorry, I should've closed the curtains when I came back in," a raspy voice called out.

I screamed and jumped out of bed, immediately reaching for the baseball bat I kept hidden under my bed.

Then Vlad came into my view, hands up as if he were surrendering.

"Don't kill me, love," a smirk played on his lips. He tried to look happy, but I could tell he was not. Dark circles had formed under his eyes. His lips were chapped to the point of cracking and bleeding.

I sat back down on my bed and just looked at him. Vlad looked stressed. He obviously hadn't slept all night, and now I was highly curious as to why he was in my room. Not to mention, Vlad had been snooping in my head while I was sleeping, because he heard my comment about the sun.

"Vlad, what happened?" I moved closer to him once he sat down.

He ran a hand through his messy hair before speaking, "I went to talk to Otis last night. I didn't want to do it without your permission, but we _need_ to get rid of that box."

I could hear the tension in his voice.

"Well," I crossed my arms over my chest, "I refuse to get rid of it until you tell me why."

Vlad sighed, dropping his face into his hands. I was worried about him. Whatever he was hiding from me was majorly stressing him out.

"That lock, there's this thing on it called a glyph. It's a special marking we vampires put on objects to represent protection. Someone, I don't know who, is protecting you," Vlad's hands had begun shaking. I've seen so many sides of Vlad, but this was something new. "I have no idea who it is, or why the hell they're protecting you. I mean, Otis and I are the only vampires living vampires you know! Why would someone do this!? WHO THE HELL IS IT!?" He was screaming now, throwing his fists into the air.

I grabbed his hands, trying to calm him down. "Let's relax, alright?"

He nodded before pulling me into a hug. Vlad's soothing hands rubbed my back, "I'm sorry. I just, I need to protect you," he pressed our foreheads together, "No one, and I mean no one, will ever hurt you again."

"I know, Vlad, I know."

_That still doesn't explain why he was in my head earlier._

Vlad bit his lower lip, "Sorry about that. I know I need to stay out of your head, and I'm sorry. I was just watching your dream, making sure no more nightmares occur."

I couldn't stop myself from blushing. Most nights, I didn't remember my dreams. Now I was scared as to what exactly Vlad had seen in my head.

"You were dreaming about our walk on the beach over the summer," the smile on Vlad's face made his eyes light up. "It was really cute. You also kept muttering my name, adorable."

I laughed, "I do not talk in my sleep."

"Whatever you say," Vlad kissed my lips before making his way out the window once again. "By the way, be careful. Call me right away if you notice anything suspicious," he glanced at the box. "And stay away from that thing."

"I promise," I got up and closed the window behind him. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep now.

_Get some sleep, and stay out of my head! I love you, _I thought, hoping Vlad was still lingering in my head.

_I love you, too._

I smiled to myself, like an idiot, for a few moments. Then, I pulled out my journal from its secret hiding place near the window.

Writing was something I loved to do more than anything else. Over the summer, I wrote nearly every day. Mostly everything I wrote about involved Vlad and the time we spent together.

I opened up to a clean page and started writing about the box and what Vlad had told me. Was I scared? Yes, I was very scared. Something was going on, and I all I knew was this: the damn box had something to do with it.

Whatever was inside, still unknown, was the reason for the tension now growing between Vlad and I.


	4. Insomnia

*P.O.V. of Vlad*

"Do you know of any vampires who would know about Cassie?" I was speaking to my uncle about the mysterious object my girlfriend had received.

It seemed like I could never relax. Cassie meant absolutely everything to me. If anything were to happen to her, I'm not sure how I'd react. Because of what I was, she was constantly put into danger. It wasn't fair to her. She deserved so much better than this, so much better than me.

My Uncle Otis seemed to ponder the question for a moment. He had so much knowledge of the vampire world. Otis was a huge inspiration of mine.

"I honestly have no idea," he drummed his fingers on the table in front of him. "Are you 100% sure that what you saw was a glyph?"

His question confused me. I had seen enough glyphs in my day to know what one looked like. Talking to Otis always left me with more questions than answers. For whatever reason, my uncle tried protecting me from Elysia, keeping as much information from me as possible. In my opinion, however, this only made things so much more difficult for me. I had a duty of protecting Cassie, and to do so, I needed the pieces to put this puzzle together.

"Well, what else could it have been!?" I was beginning to grow angry with my uncle. My temper was on an extremely high level lately. I would snap over the simplest things, and I am not exactly sure why.

Otis placed a calming hand on my shoulder, "Relax Vladimir. I can see that you are stressed. Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest?"

I nodded. Maybe I just needed some sleep. Lately I have gotten very little of it. I would lie awake at night, thinking about the future. Truth be told, I was terrified of the future. Everything was so uncertain. I like to know exactly what is going to happen next. However, my life was a road that constantly turned in another direction.

I was unpredictable.

Once I got to my room, I immediately threw myself on to the bed. Looking out the window, I could see the moon peeking out from the clouds. I let my mind wonder to Cassie. My beautiful, beautiful Cassie. Pictures of her smile crept into my head, making me grin to myself. She always brightened up my day. Cassie was so beautiful, so unique; the girl drove me crazy with her perfection.

After about an hour and half of trying to get to sleep, I surrendered myself to the insomnia. I sat up and bed and concentrated, searching for Cassie's mind. Some people may think it's creepy, but I liked watching her dreams. Her dreams usually consisted of her and I. Once, I watched us get married in her head.

Tonight, however, she wasn't dreaming. In fact, Cassie was wide awake.

_I feel as if the old Vlad is coming back, and it scares the hell out of me._

This confused me. What did Cassie mean by "the old Vlad?"

I decided that she must have been writing. There was a time that I was watching her sleep, protecting her from anything that could be harmful. I was sitting near her window, when I stumbled upon a journal. Cassie wrote about her life, in the same way that I do. I never had told her about my journal, but it was yet another thing her and I had in common.

I couldn't help but smile at myself. In my opinion, we were perfect for each other. This was something I have known since the day I first saw her. I'll never forget that day. Even if it were only a quick glance as she walked inside, it still meant everything to me.

Slipping back into her mind, I tried to decode exactly what she was thinking about.

_There's something going on with him. Vlad's acting different lately. He gets angry easily, and when he is angry, his hands shake violently. I'm really worried about him._

I was hoping Cassie hadn't noticed my change in behavior. For whatever reason, I could not help but have this feeling something was wrong with me,_ very_ wrong.

My stomach growled, telling me I needed to eat. My fangs slipped from gums in response. Sighing, I slipped out of bed and made my way downstairs. Amenti rubbed her head against my legs as I walked into the kitchen. All the while, she was purring louder than a train.

"Hey baby girl," I scratched between her ears, hoping she would quiet down some.

Opening the freezer, I realized something.

We were out of blood bags. How was this even possible!? Nelly always brings home blood when we're nearly out.

I closed the freezer door in defeat, dragging myself back to my room. My stomach refused to stop growling. My hunger was intense lately. Whether it was puberty or something stranger, I just wanted it to stop.

Finally, after about 3 hours of lying awake in agony, I fell asleep.

"_Come on,Vlad!" Cassie giggle, pulling me deeper into the woods._

_We made our way to a clearing; the entire town of Bathory in view. This was the place where I had told Cassie about me being a vampire._

_She sat down on the grass, gesturing for me to follow._

_Something was off._

_It was too dark here. The moon was above, but I found it difficult to see the trees around us. I took my seat next my girlfriend. She instantly placed her head on my shoulder. _

"_You can do it you know?" Cassie didn't look at me, but kept her eyes on the town in front of us._

_Confusion took over, "Do what, baby?"_

_Cassie lifted her head and proceeded to pull her hair back into a ponytail. She smiled, laughing at my question._

"_You can drink my blood, silly."_

_I quickly shook my head. There was no way I would do that. I had made a promise to myself that I would never drink from a human. The thought of doing this sickened me. _

_Before I knew what was happened, I pulled Cassie closer. I tilted her neck, all the while screaming in my head to stop. _

_I could almost feel my eyes flash purple. My fangs slipped into Cassie's neck, tears falling from face. Why was I doing this!? Why couldn't I stop myself?_

_Cassie whimpered, "That's..enough."_

_I tried to stop, but I couldn't. The sweet taste of her blood tainted my mind. I needed it!_

"_Vlad?" Cassie's voice was quiet. She was dying. The sound of her heartbeat began slowing in my ears. I was killing the love of my life, and I was enjoying it._

_Her body went limp. I threw her down and stood up, starring at the town._

"_Soon," I whispered, "I will taste all the blood in this useless town."_

I woke up in a cold sweat. Glancing at my clock, I could see that it was almost noon.

To say that the dream shocked me was an understatement. The dream absolutely terrified me.

I desperately needed to talk to Otis. He would have answers; that I knew. Making my way downstairs, I realized that the house was eerily quiet. I crept into the dining room, hoping to see Nelly eating lunch. However, I was greeted with a note.

Written in Otis' sloppy handwriting, it read:

"Dearest Vladimir,

Nelly and I attempted to wait for you to awake. However, we had to go and get some blood. We shall return soon.

Yours in eternity,

Otis"

Great, now I had to wait. I decided to go see Cassie.

Telling her about the dream was not an option, but just her presence would cheer me up, that I know.


	5. Enemies in the Dark

"Vlad?" Cassie's beautiful voice called out.

It had been days since the horrid dream had occurred. I couldn't get the images of my nightmare out of my head. Otis had had no input on the dream. He just shrugged it off and said that it was probably nothing. What if it meant everything? How would Cassie react if she knew I dreamt of killing her?

A fearful shiver ran up my spine. I couldn't even picture life without my Cassie. My blood thirst needed to be fixed. I would find my fangs slipping from my gums in the middle of class more often than they should. I needed help. Otis wasn't providing it.

"Vlad!?" Cassie was yelling now, shaking my shoulder to get my attention.

I stared at the wall, not daring to look at her, "Yes, love?"

"I have been trying to get your attention for nearly ten minutes now. I was seconds away from getting a bullhorn or something."

Ten minutes? Had I really been in thought that long?

"I'm sorry, babe," I finally got up the courage to look at her. She looked tired, deep circles forming under her eyes. This was my fault. I had put so much stress on her life.

Cassie gestured towards the box that still held its place on her floor, "Are we ever going to get rid of that thing?"

That box had to of been cursed. The secret of what was inside drove me crazy, but there was no way of getting inside. I couldn't just throw it out. However, I'd never let Cassie open it if I were not there. In fact, I don't think she should be there once it is opened. Whatever was inside, it had to be dangerous.

"Don't worry, Cassie. We're working on it," I just didn't know what to say to her anymore. There was so much stress on my brain. I got up and made my way toward the door, shouting my goodbyes over my shoulder. Maybe all I needed was a night out. It was time to go to the Crypt.

The Crypt is this gothic club in Stokerton. I always feel 'at home' whenever I go there. The people there accepted me; the atmosphere was calming.

As I walked down the narrow hallway to the actual club, the smell of blood and adrenaline filled my nostrils. My fangs shot from my gums in response. I needed to relax, not worry about wanting to kill someone.

_I just need to sit down_, I thought to myself.

I noticed my friend October sitting on a sofa in the corner. She gestured for me to sit with her, a smile planted on her face.

"Look who finally broke away from the girlfriend," October laughed, flipping her black hair over her shoulder. She was accompanied by Sprat, but the rest of her friends missing somewhere on the dance floor.

Sprat leaned in, his breath reeking of chocolate, "Dude, that girl is whack!"

My goth friends never really liked Cassie. I can't imagine why. In my eyes, she was perfect, an angel sent from above. There was absolutely nothing to hate about her.

"She's not 'whack'. Cassie's just been through a lot." I tried not getting angry with him. Sprat always blurted out what he thought, not caring if it hurt your feelings or not. I'm not sure if this was because he didn't care, or if he was just really stupid.

I was leaning more towards the second option.

October threw her arm around my shoulder, "Don't listen to him, Vlad. I think she's nice; you just act different around her."

"How so?"

"Well," she picked up a drink from the table and sipped it, "you make 'googly' eyes at her."

Sprat laughed so loud that half the people in the club looked at us. He was definitely on some sort of sugar high.

I rolled my eyes and picked up a drink as well, "Whatever, let's just have some fun, alright?"

We spent the night drinking sugary drinks and dancing on the dance floor. Surprisingly, my hunger stayed under control. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.

It was around 11:00 when I finally left the club. Nelly was not going to be happy about me getting home so late. At this point, I didn't really care. Tonight took my mind off the trouble with Cassie and Elysia. Now, however, it was time to get back to reality.

The city was eerily quiet. My footsteps echoed on the pavement as I made my way to the car. I stopped dead in my tracks.

Someone was standing near my car.

The black figure was twirling what looked like a keychain. As a crept closer, I could hear his casual whistling.

"Can I help you?" I almost punched myself in the face. Okay, dumbass. Let's just talk to a random stranger.

The figure stopped whistling and chuckled. He moved into the light; my heart stopping almost immediately.

D'Ablo.

It was impossible. I had killed D'Ablo. There was no possible way he was alive. Yet here he was, standing just feet away from me, a sadistic smile on his demonic face.

*Flashback*

"_Give up yet, Master Pravus?" D'Ablo's words cut through the air. I was pinned to the ground. D'Ablo was suffocating me with his weight. I couldn't let him win. If he won, he would kill Cassie. _

_I made one last attempt to move, kicking my legs into his groin. D'Ablo fell to the floor, a groan escaping his mouth. _

_Using my vampiric speed, I grabbed the knife he had tossed across the room and made my move. Stabbing him the neck, D'ablo made choking noises, blood spurring from his lips. _

"_You asked for it," I whispered, enjoying the moment._

_Then something came from behind, slashing my leg. I cried out before turning to see Garder. He looked at his master, his eyes wide open. _

"_What have you done!?" he shouted, leaping for me._

_I grabbed him by the neck, snapping it within seconds._

*End of Flashback*

"Well Vladimir, I have to say, I am impressed. You do know how to fight. However, I did sense a bit of bitterness when you slaughtered Garder," D'Ablo's voice sent a shiver up my spine. I was still in shock. I was so sure I had killed him.

I shook my head, hoping this was some twisted image my head had created.

"How?" was all I could muster.

D'Ablo leaned against the car once again, "Well Vlad, it's crazy. I was just as shocked as you are now. I had woken up, the wound completely healed. Maybe it's a miracle, but I promised myself something."

"And what's that?"

"That I would make you pay," D'Ablo said casually. "Don't worry though, it won't be now. I need time."

I crouched down in fighting position, my fangs now fully exposed.

"Well, why don't I just finish your sorry ass now!?"

D'Ablo clucked his tongue, "Listen, my dear boy, there are slayers everywhere. You better be careful. The society is on high alert. I refuse to fight you right here, right now. There are slayers in that club. I can smell them." A growl erupted from his throat. This was new information to me. How had I not noticed the slayers within the club?

Looking back towards The Crypt, I tried to sense the slayers.

Nothing.

Turning back to the car, I was surprised to see D'Ablo gone.

"This oughta be fun," I said to myself, slipping into the car. Rolling all the windows down and cranking up the radio, I tried to forget about the conversation I had just endured.

D'Ablo was alive, and he wanted revenge.


	6. Disturbance in the Night

D'Ablo was alive.

How was I supposed to cope with this information? My worst enemy was hungry for revenge, and worst of all, I wouldn't know when it was coming. I needed to keep my eyes open. Sleep was no longer an option. I was vulnerable in my sleep. Staying alert at all times was crucial.

"That's enough!" Cassie was in my face, screaming. "You need to stop staring off like this. I want to know what's going on right now!"

She must have been trying to talk to me once again. With everything that was going on, I couldn't keep a hold on our conversations. My mind always drifted off somewhere else. I felt bad for this; Cassie deserved someone who was mentally stable.

I pulled her arm so she would sit on the bed. Maybe it was time to tell her about D'Ablo. She had a right to know.

Brushing her hair from her perfect face, I started explaining everything that was happening. I even threw in the information about my blood thirst and Otis being unhelpful. To my surprise, Cassie sat quiet and listened contently to my rant. She had grabbed my hands, never allowing our eyes to leave one another.

"I just don't know what to do anymore!" I hadn't realized it, but I was crying. Cassie pulled me into a hug and rubbed my back soothingly.

"You know, Vlad," she whispered, "it may seem hard, but you'll always have me."

_Breathing was difficult. It felt as if I were suffocating. Everything around me was dimming, becoming nothing more than blackness. The feeling was too familiar. I was reminded of the time a slayer staked me in the heart._

_I mistakenly thought that Joss could change, that we could truly be friends. However, I was wrong._

_Trying to scream proved to be impossible. No matter how hard I tried, no sound escaped my lips. The darkness began to creep its way into my mind. There was no way of seeing what was suffocating me. I tried moving, but I was paralyzed._

_Then the scene changed almost immediately. I was now standing outside of a church. The sun was beating down, and people dressed in fancy clothes made their way into the building. Instinctively, I followed. No one noticed me as I walked up the stairs._

_Once inside, I realized that I had walked into someone's wedding ceremony. Something was off, though. There were skulls strewn about the church. Everyone was dressed in black, and the bride looked frightened._

_That's when I saw her face._

_My mother._

_She was the bride. Her eyes were searching around, panicking. My mother cried out, begging for help. Everyone in the audience ignored her. It seemed as if I were the only one who could hear her. She looked at me, reaching her hand out towards me._

_I ran down the aisle, wanting to help my mother. Inches from my grasp, she was pulled away. My father growled at me. _

"_Dad?"_

_He pushed her protectively behind him, "Stay away from her you monster!"_

_Confusion took over my entire being. Hurt my own mother? I'd never do such a thing! _

"_She's mine," my father's face twisted into an evil smile. He proceeded to pull her closer and clamp his teeth onto her neck._

_I tried to move, but my feet refused to respond. All I could do was stand there in horror as my father devoured every drop of my mother's blood. I couldn't see either of their faces, and I was slightly grateful for this. _

_My father looked up, but he no longer was my father. I was now staring at myself. The bride who crumpled to the floor took the form of Cassie._

_A scream finally found its way up my throat. I had killed the girl I loved._

"_It's your entire fault," the figure that resembled me moved closer. "You're a killer, a monster. Why are you trying to be normal? You're a freak Vladimir! That's all you'll ever be!"_

_The figure flew into the air. Everyone in the church shifted, now falling, as skeletons, to the floor._

"_Embrace your power!" The man, I, screamed. _

I woke up in a cold sweat, the wind blowing in from outside not keeping me cool. The room was quiet, something was off. Slowly stepping out of bed, I reached out with my blood, attempting to sense if anyone was in the room, specifically vampires. Thankfully, I found the room to be empty.

Making my way downstairs, I noticed the kitchen light was turned on. Otis was sitting at the table, reading through some old book. The cover was ripped, showing that this wasn't the first time he had read the story.

"Hello, Vladimir," he said. Otis didn't look up, but gestured for me to sit down across from him. He held up a finger, signaling me to wait a moment. Once he finished what he was reading, Otis closed the book and offered a kind smile.

"You're up late," I said, picking at the chipping wood on the table.

Otis stared at me, seeming to analyze me. "Well, my dear nephew, why are _you_ up at this time of night?" I contemplated on whether or not to tell him the truth. Lately, Otis hadn't been all too helpful in giving information.

_Maybe this time will be different. _I thought.

"Different?"

I glared towards my uncle, "What did I tell you about being in my head?" Someone snarled, and I was shocked to know that it was me.

Otis sat back in his chair, placing his hands behind his head. "I'm sorry, Vlad. You've been worrying me lately. Why don't we talk about? What happened?"

I kept my eyes on the table, embarrassed to tell him about my dream. Hoping that Otis may have still been lurking within my thoughts, I played back the dream. The ending made me shiver; it was just as gruesome as the first time.

My uncle stared at me in shock, trying to process what he had just witnessed in my brain. He shook his head slightly, mumbling to himself.

"What is it, Uncle Otis?" his inability to speak to me was frightening.

Uncle Otis stood up and made his way out of the kitchen. Stopping at the door frame, he turned back to me, his words cutting through the air.

"Your mental health is concerning me. You _will_ be seeing a therapist soon."

I was left alone to think about what had happened. Leave it to Otis to make me feel worse for what my subconscious was conjuring up.


End file.
